Most people who own a small business have a huge passion and talent for
product or service they provide. Some people have a business degree. Some even have MBA's or PhD's. But, most who own their own business just have a passion for what they do.So, they try to make a difference...and a profit.
But, running your own business is very hard. We all hear statistics...one in five don't make it, every third small business fails, one out of two flop and on and on and on. Plus, small business owners have to wear a lot of hats: sales person, marketing manager, accountant, janitor, customer service representative, human resource department, etc...
You name it, small business owners do it.
The learning curve is great. And business owners make many mistakes. Some mistakes are just part of growing process, while other mistakes may cost only a few bucks or thousands of dollars. But one mistake I am about to describe can be MOST expensive mistake you can make in running a small business.
What's mistake?
It is very simple, but VERY costly mistake of having your logo, stationery, brochures, web site and all other marketing materials for your small business look cheap, poorly designed, thrown together and unprofessional.
Every single week, I see a multitude of small business owners who are making this very mistake. They just don't get it. They don't realize cost of this mistake. They don't realize how much damage they are doing to their business and brand by using these unprofessional and poorly designed marketing materials. Essentially, what they are doing is creating a sub-par first impression that is burned into mind of new prospects forever.
The old adage is true...you never get a second chance to make a first impression. In running a small business, you cannot afford to look thrown together, cheap and unprofessional.
Why is this mistake so costly? Simple. It's because most small businesses look alike. Most look cheap. Most look unprofessional. In an effort to "save money", most just throw their marketing materials together or hire cheapest person they can find to design them. Because of this, they don't stand out from crowd. They don't look like experts they are and they don't attract clients, which is precisely why this mistake is so costly.
